RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV. The show documents RuPaul in his search for "America's next drag superstar."[1] RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and source of inspiration for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week. RuPaul's Drag Race employs a panel of judges, including RuPaul, Michelle Visage and a host of other guest judges, who critique contestants' progress throughout the competition. The title of the show is a play on drag queen and drag racing, and the title sequence and song "Drag Race" both have a drag-racing theme.

RuPaul's Drag Race has spanned eight seasons and inspired the spin-off shows RuPaul's Drag U and RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars. The show has become the highest-rated television program on Logo TV,[2] and airs internationally, including in Australia, Canada and the UK. The show earned RuPaul a 2016 Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program, and the show itself was awarded as an Outstanding Reality Program at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards. It has been nominated for 4 Critics' Choice Television Award including Best Reality Series – Competition and Best Reality Show Host for RuPaul, and was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Make-up for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic). In 2016, RuPaul's Drag Race was renewed for a ninth season.[3]

Casting calls are announced online, where prospective contestants submit audition tapes in hopes of being cast. All contestants selected must be 21 years of age or older at the time of taping. They may be any sexual orientation, although most contestants to date have been gay men. Transgender women are eligible, and have become more common as seasons have progressed. Sonique (a season two contestant) became the first openly transgender contestant of the series when she revealed her status as transgender during the season two reunion special. Monica Beverly Hillz (a season five contestant), became the first transgender woman to reveal her status during the competition. The other transgender contestants have begun transitioning after their elimination. Carmen Carrera, a season three contestant, announced her transition during an episode of ABC's Primetime: What Would You Do?[4] Season four contestant Kenya Michaels announced her own transition via Facebook and Twitter.[5] In a recent interview with Hey Qween!'s Johnny McGovern, Season 6 contestant Gia Gunn announced that she is "testing the waters" of transitioning and is looking into hormone replacement therapy, though has not officially come out as transgender. Other transgender contestants include Stacy Layne Matthews and Jiggly Caliente, and other genderfluid contestants include Courtney Act, Jinkx Monsoon, Kelly Mantle, Raja, and Violet Chachki.

RuPaul plays dual roles in the show. USA Today's Lifeline explains: "RuPaul the drag queen will be the final word in judging and eliminations, while RuPaul the man will offer guidance to contestants for each challenge."[6]RuPaul's Drag Race uses progressive elimination to reduce the number of drag queens in the competition from the initial field of fourteen contestants (the maximum a season has started with) down to the final three, who will compete in the final challenge. Each episode (with the exception of the casting special, "recap" episode, and reunion special) follows a format consisting of a mini challenge, a main challenge, a runway walk (where the contestants model fashion on a runway, usually with a theme based on the main challenge), the judging panel, and the elimination of a contestant. There have been some exceptions to episodes, including double-elimination episodes, no-elimination episodes, and the disqualification of contestants.

In the mini challenge, each contestant is asked to perform a different task with varying requirements and time limitations. Certain mini challenges are repeated from season to season. For instance, the first mini challenge of the first six seasons is a photo shoot with the photographer Mike Ruiz that includes some kind of special twist (such as being doused with water while in full drag, having a high-powered fan turned on during the shoot, or being photographed while jumping on a trampoline). Another recurring mini challenge is dedicated to "reading," which is a drag term for making insulting observations about one's peers for comic effect. The winner of a mini challenge is sometimes rewarded with some kind of advantage in the main challenge. Though most episodes have a mini challenge, select episodes do not and progress straight to the main challenge.

The requirements of the main challenge vary across each episode, and can be individual or group challenges, and initially grant immunity to the winner in the next challenge (until RuPaul announces the discontinuation of that policy mid-season). However, as of season 6, immunity is no longer granted to challenge winners. The winner of the main challenge also receives a "special" prize for their win. In the past, challenge winners have been rewarded with prizes including custom designer clothing, vacations, cruises, and quality cosmetic items.

The goal of each main challenge involves a new theme and outcome. Contestants are often asked to design and construct a custom outfit, sometimes incorporating unconventional materials. Other challenges focus on the contestants' ability to present themselves on camera, perform with music, or perform humorously. Some challenges become a tradition across seasons.

Beginning with the seventh season, Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews and Carson Kressley are the staple judges alongside RuPaul. Visage joined the show at the start of season 3, while Matthews and Kressley joined at the start of season 7, and each joins RuPaul and Visage on alternate episodes. Past fixtures on the panel include Merle Ginsberg, who was a regular judge in the first two seasons, and Santino Rice, who held his position from the first season until the conclusion of the sixth. To date, Rice is the only person, apart from RuPaul, to take part in every season of the show, serving as a main judge for seasons one through six, and all stars, and guest judging for season seven. In certain instances, Rice was absent and replacement judging has been provided by make-up artist Billy Brasfield (better known as Billy B), Mike Ruiz, Jeffrey Moran (Absolut Vodka marketing executive), or Lucian Piane. However, due to Brasfield's numerous appearances in seasons three and four, including appearing in the Reunited episodes both seasons, Rice and Billy B are considered to have been alternates for the same seat at the judges table throughout the two seasons.[7][8]

The judges each provide their opinion on the contestants' performances in the main challenge and on the runway before RuPaul announces which queen is the episode's winner and which two had the weakest performances. The day before judging, the contestants are all provided with a song by a female artist to which they must learn the lyrics. The contestants deemed as being the bottom two must "lip sync for their lives" to the song in a final attempt to impress RuPaul. After the lip sync, RuPaul alone decides who stays and who leaves. RuPaul describes the qualities the contestants must have to be crowned the winner of the show as "Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent... These are people who have taken adversity and turned it into something that is beautiful and something powerful."[9] The phrase "charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent" is used repeatedly on the show, the acronym of which is CUNT. On the All Stars season, "synergy" was added to provide an explanation behind the contestants being sorted into teams (expanding the acronym into CUNTS).

The first season of Drag Race was accompanied by a seven-episode web series, titled Under the Hood of RuPaul's Drag Race. LOGOonline published a webisode of Under the Hood after each episode of Drag Race. In this companion series, RuPaul presents a documentary of contestants' conversation in the green room, replays pertinent moments from Drag Race, and airs deleted footage.[10][11]

Starting with the second season of Drag Race in 2010, Logo reformatted Under the Hood, increased its production budget, moved it from the web to television, and re-titled it to RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked. Logo broadcast an episode of Untucked after each episode of Drag Race. Untucked replaces the basic green room of Under the Hood with two decorated rooms that were until season 6 sponsored by Absolut Vodka and Interior Illusions, Inc.: the Interior Illusions Lounge and the Gold Bar. FormDecor sponsored the Lounge for season 6. These two backstage areas allow for separated group conversation.

At the start of the seventh season of the Drag Race, Untucked reverted to a webseries, as part of the World of Wonder YouTube page. Instead of two decorated rooms, Untucked was moved back to the one room, an empty backstage space that connects to the main stage and work room, with couches for contestants to chat on. The newly renovated version also follows contestants following their elimination from the show, documenting them packing their belongings and leaving the set. The webseries format continued on the eighth season.

Each season, the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race receives a selection of prizes, these prizes have increased in value each season as the show has become more popular and received a bigger budget. The prizes won for every season were:

The first season of RuPaul's Drag Race, later referred as The Lost Season, premiered in the United States on February 2, 2009, on Logo. Nine contestants were selected to compete in the running of becoming "America's Next Drag Superstar." The winner of the first season won a lifetime supply of MAC Cosmetics, was featured in an LA Eyeworks campaign, joined the Logo Drag Race tour, and won a cash prize of $20,000. One of the nine contestants to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race was determined by an audience vote via the show's official website. The results were announced in early September 2008. The contestant to win this honor was Nina Flowers from Bayamón, Puerto Rico (currently residing in Denver, Colorado). Nina Flowers went on to win Miss Congeniality. The theme song playing during the runway every episode was "Cover Girl" from RuPaul's album Champion.

The winner of this first season of RuPaul's Drag Race was BeBe Zahara Benet. In late 2013,[12] Logo re-aired the first season, which was titled RuPaul's Drag Race: The Lost Season Ru-Vealed, and featured commentary from RuPaul[13]

For season two, the number of contestants was increased from nine to twelve, and the prizes were slightly modified: a lifetime supply of Nyx Cosmetics and be the face of nyxcosmetics.com, an exclusive one year public relations contract with LGBT firm Project Publicity, be featured an LA Eyeworks campaign, join the Logo Drag Race tour, and a cash prize of $25,000. A new tradition of writing a farewell message, in lipstick on their workstation mirror, was started by the first eliminated queen of the season.

Each week's episode is followed by a behind-the-scenes show, RuPaul's Drag Race Untucked. The theme song playing during the runway and the end credits every episode is "Jealous of My Boogie" from RuPaul's album Champion.

Season two's Miss Congeniality was Pandora Boxx, and the winner of the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race was Tyra Sanchez.

On December 6, 2011, Amazon.com released this season on DVD via their CreateSpace program.[14]

This season had Michelle Visage replacing Merle Ginsberg at the judge's table and Billy Brasfield[15] (better known as Billy B), Mike Ruiz, and Jeffrey Moran (courtesy of Absolut Vodka) filling in for Santino Rice's absence during several episodes. Billy B, celebrity makeup artist and star of the HGTV mini-series Hometown Renovation, appeared as a judge in five episodes. Whereas Mike Ruiz only judged for two episodes, and Jeffrey Moran for one, Moran only appearing for promotional reasons. Due to Billy B's continued appearances, he and Rice are now considered to have been alternate judges for the same seat at the judges table, both appearing side-by-side in the reunion special to announce Yara Sofia as the season's Miss Congeniality.[16]

Other changes made included the introduction of a wildcard contestant from the past season, Shangela Laquifa Wadley; an episode with no elimination; and a contestant, Carmen Carrera, being brought back into the competition after having been eliminated a few episodes prior. A new pit crew was also introduced consisting of Jason Carter and Shawn Morales. The theme song playing during the runway every episode was changed to "Champion" while the song playing during the credits is "Main Event", both from RuPaul's album Champion. As with the previous season, each week's episode was followed by a behind-the-scenes show, RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked. Raja Gemini was crowned the winner of season 3.

On December 6, 2011 Amazon.com released this season on DVD via their CreateSpace program.[17]

The fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing on January 30, 2012,[18] with cast members announced November 13, 2011.[19] The winner of season four will headline Logo's Drag Race Tour featuring Absolut Vodka, wins a one-of-a-kind trip, a lifetime supply of NYX Cosmetics, a cash prize of $100,000, and the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar."[20]

Like the last season, Santino Rice & Billy B (Billy Brasfield), celebrity makeup artist and star of the HGTV mini-series Hometown Renovation, shared the same seat at the judges table alternatively, Brasfield filling in for Rice when needed.[16] Both judges appeared side-by-side in the audience during the "Reunited" episode.

The theme song playing during the runway every episode was "Glamazon" and the song played during the credits was "The Beginning", both from RuPaul's album Glamazon.

In the season finale, Latrice Royale became season four's Miss Congeniality, and fan favourite contestant Sharon Needles was crowned the season's winner.

The fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing on January 28, 2013, with a 90-minute premiere episode. It had the most contestants since the creation of the show with fourteen. The winner of this season was Jinkx Monsoon.

As this season's winner, Jinkx Monsoon walked away with the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar" along with a lifetime supply of Colorevolution Cosmetics, a one-of-a-kind trip courtesy of AlandChuck.travel, a headlining spot on Logo's Drag Race Tour featuring Absolut Vodka and a cash prize of $100,000. Santino Rice and Michelle Visage were back as judges at the panel.[21] The theme song playing during the runway every episode is "I Bring the Beat", while the song playing during the credits is "The Beginning", both songs are from RuPaul's album Glamazon. Awarded Miss Congeniality was Ivy Winters.

The sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing February 24, 2014. Like the fifth season, the season featured 14 contestants competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". For the first time in the show's history, the season premiere was split into two episodes; the fourteen queens are split into two groups and the seven queens into each group compete against each other before being united as one group for the third episode.

Santino Rice and Michelle Visage are back as judges at the panel. Two new pit crew members, Miles Moody and Simon Sherry-Wood, joined Jason Carter and Shawn Morales.[22] The winner of this season won a prize package that included a supply from Colorevolution Cosmetics and a cash prize of $100,000.[23] This was also the first season where Absolut Vodka and Interior Illusions, Inc. were not sponsors for the show, more specifically for the Untucked episodes. The Interior Illusions Lounge is now simply known as the Silver Lounge or FormDecor Lounge. The theme song played during the runway segment every episode was "Sissy That Walk" while the song playing during the credits is "Dance With U", both from the album Born Naked. BenDeLaCreme was crowned Miss Congeniality. The winner of this season was Bianca Del Rio.

Like the previous two seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, the season featured 14 contestants competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar", a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics and a cash prize of $100,000. The season premiere debuted with a live and same-day viewership of r350,000, a 20% increase from the previous season. On March 20, 2015, it was announced that LogoTV had given the series an early renewal for an eighth season.[25]Katya Zamolodchikova was crowned Miss. Congeniality, and the winner of this season was Violet Chachki.

On January 14, 2016, it was announced that the cast for the eighth season will be revealed during the 2016 New Now Next Honors on February 1, 2016, followed by the season premiere on March 7, 2016. The first episode celebrated the 100th taping of the show, and the 100th drag queen to enter the work room. Michelle Visage returned as a main judge, while Carson Kressley and Ross Matthews returned as rotating main judges.[26] Similar to the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race, the season featured 12 contestants competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar", a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics and a cash prize of $100,000. Cynthia Lee Fontaine was crowned Miss Congeniality, and the winner of this season was Bob the Drag Queen.

RuPaul confirmed on Twitter that a new album, in which each of the Season 6 contestants covered a song from his catalog, would be released. The album, titled RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz, was released on January 28, 2014[27]

Similar to Season 6, each of the season 7's contestants covered a song that was previously recorded by RuPaul. The album is titled RuPaul Presents: CoverGurlz2 and was released on February 3, 2015. The album also features the single "New York City Beat", a song by RuPaul featuring Michelle Visage.[28]

Following Drag Race, many contestants from the show have delved into music careers, with some garnering moderate success. Albums released by the shows alumni include PG-13 by season 4 winner Sharon Needles and Till Death Do Us Party by season 6 runner-up Adore Delano.

RuPaul's Drag U is a spin-off that ran from 2010 to 2012. In each episode, three women are paired with former Drag Race contestants ("Drag Professors"), who give them dragmakeovers and help them to access their "inner divas".[29] Since each episode was taped in Los Angeles over a period of one month, most of the professors were queens living in Southern California.

RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (2012–)

RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars is a recurring miniseries in which past contestants compete for a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame. The show's format is similar to that of RuPaul's Drag Race, with challenges and a panel of judges. The first All Stars started six months after the conclusion of Drag Race's fourth season. 12 queens from the first four seasons competed in six-episode. The second All Stars competition aired in 2016, a few months after the season eight finale.

The Switch (2015–)

The Switch is a licensed glocalization of Drag Race that premiered in October 2015 on Chilean television channel Mega. As in Drag Race, queens compete in "mini challenges" and a main challenge, and are evaluated by a panel of judges. Unlike Drag Race, The Switch requires contenstants to lip sync, dance, and perform impersonations.

In April 2014, chat show host and television presenter Jonathan Ross told the Daily Star that a UK version of the show was being planned, fronted by Jodie Harsh instead of RuPaul. Ross said, "I’ve been working with Jodie on a UK version of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Unfortunately, we have had to take a break because of some family issues. But we’re hoping to pick it up again in the near future. I am definitely serving ‘middle-aged-realness!’"[33] RuPaul has since explained, "I think that because truTV has brought all the seasons of Drag Race to the UK I think that that might be something that will happen much sooner…. I think that people will fall so in love with the show, I think that the hunger and the thirst for a UK version will probably happen. That's my prediction."[34] To coincide with TruTV airing new seasons of the show in the UK, RuPaul hosted a competition to find a UK Ambassador for RuPaul's Drag Race with judges Jonathan Ross and Katie Price in May 2015.[35] The Vivienne, a drag queen from Liverpool, won the competition and created vlogs to accompany Drag Race episodes on truTV as well as visiting the set for the eighth season of Drag Race in the US.[36]

Feature film (TBD)

In August 2015, RuPaul revealed that a movie featuring all of the contestants was in the works. "We've got a director for it, we've got a light script, but it just needs a little more retooling and scheduling."[34]

RuPaul's Drag Race has been criticized for appearing to favor glamorous drag queens over comedic or camp queens. For example, Popbytes commented Drag Race has been accused numerous times of keeping some of the more unpleasant but feminine queens in the competition for the sake of keeping the drama high. However, Common Sense Media commented, "RuPaul's Drag Race combines the fashion design drama of Project Runway with the modeling excitement of America's Next Top Model to create an entertainingly voyeuristic glimpse into the performance art world of drag queens. There's plenty of over-the-top stuff, but rather than simply treating drag performers as people to be laughed at and/or scorned, the show also focuses on the hard work and talent that goes into drag performances."[46]Entertainment Weekly cited the elimination of comedian and eventual season two fan favorite Pandora Boxx as the season's most controversial.[47]

In March 2014, Drag Race sparked controversy over the use of the term "She-male" in the season 6 Mini-challenge "Female or She-male?". Logo has since removed the episode from all platforms and has addressed the allegations of transphobia by removing the "You've got she-mail" intro from new episodes of the series. This was replaced with, "She done already done had herses!"[48]

Australia: In Australia, lifestyle channel LifeStyle YOU[49] regularly shows and re-screens all 7 seasons, including Untucked. In addition, free-to-air channel SBS2 began screening the first season on August 31, 2013.[50]

Brazil: Brazil started airing season 7 on the Multishow cable network every Monday at 11:30pm in August 2015.[51]

Canada: The series airs on OutTV in Canada at the same time as the US airing.

Germany: During Summer 2009, TIMM – a former gay television channel from Germany – aired the first season every Friday night.[52]

Ireland: In Ireland S2 to S7 of the programme are available on Netflix.

Latin America: In January 2011 VH1 Latin America aired season 2 followed by season 1, season 3 and season 4.[54]

Spain: On 19 September 2016, free-to-air channel TEN began screening the series from season 5.[55]

Sweden: Season 8 of the series currently airs on OutTV on Thursdays at 20:00.[56]

The Philippines: The Philippines aired season 3 on the Velvet cable network every Tuesday at 11 pm with RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked, airing directly after the show. Season 4 started airing on April 17, 2012[57]

UK: E4 aired season 1 in 2009, followed by season 2 in 2010.[58] Since its success on Netflix in the UK,[59]TruTV acquired the broadcast rights for all eight seasons of the show including Untucked episodes.[60] In June 2015, TruTV started airing two episodes of the show a week, starting with season 4, followed by All Stars, then season 5. Currently on truTV on Monday nights at 9pm season 8 is broadcast with Untucked, being on the truTV UK youtube account